Field of the Invention
This invention relates to floor panel systems for use in grain storage and drying bins. The flooring systems are comprised of modular perforated floor panels each of which is hemmed across the width of the panel at predetermined points along its length. Side flanges of the panels can be fit into slotted beams and a series of posts grip the beams and support the floor. The resulting floor system supports a load of grain or the like and provides a plenum chamber below the floor so that drying air may be forced therethrough.
Various flooring systems have been designed to support grain in a storage and drying bin. It is generally necessary to force heated air through the grain to dry the grain and prevent it from spoiling. As a result, a plenum is provided at the bottom of the bin to facilitate the entrance of air. The air is then forced through perforations in a false floor which forms the top of the plenum and provides a base for the grain.
The false floors typically used in such systems are comprised of lengths of steel channels or planks which can be joined along their longitudinal edges. The edges may be joined directly in interlocking arrangement or the edges may be joined by intermediary beams or rails. The steel channels extend across the bin from wall to wall. The bins very often are round, thereby requiring circular floors. Grain can also be stored in existing buildings which are rectangular or of varying shapes and sizes. The steel planks for false floors are generally custom made at the manufacturing location to fit into, for example, a round bin. These planks are of varying lengths and for a large diameter bin, some of the planks are substantially long because they are substantially equal to the length of the diameter. Consequently, transporting and storing these long planks is difficult and the varying sizes of planks make on-site assembly of the floor complicated and time consuming. In addition, due to the large variation of plank lengths, mistakes can arise during assembly of the floor, e.g., having a four foot portion of the bin and only a six foot piece remaining, thereby making it necessary to cut a plank to a particular length to complete assembly.
It is highly desirable to provide false floor systems which are easy to assemble and install while providing adequate support for the floor. Moreover, it is desirable to provide false floor planks or panels which are uniform in design and length and which can be severed readily into various lengths, e.g. for easy fitting and assembly into floors within round bins. It is also desirable to provide false floor planks or panels that can be utilized economically by minimizing the amount of flooring material required during the construction and fabrication of the floor support system.